Going Stag
by AmazingWingedGirl
Summary: I didn't fall for Potter; I fell for James. -LEJP, sans Peter   because I hate him , sans Snape  because he just didn't fit with the story .  T for language, references and mild situations-basically equivalent to a PG13 movie. R&R! Reviews make my Patronus stronger :D
1. Chapter 1: Prongs, Moony, and Sirius

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts, goddammit.**

**Here's the first chapter! Remember, this is a totally fluffy, happy little fanfiction about James and Lily getting to be the couple we know them as today. Mild language, possibly mild smut in future chapters ;) **

_**Sans**_** Peter (because I hate him), **_**sans**_** Snape (because he just didn't fit in with what I was writing). Enjoy!**

*****Girls—you will **_**definitely **_**appreciate this chapter! Guys—you probably won't get it. And even if you think you do, trust me, you don't.*****

The first thing you need to know about me is that I did _not _fall for a boy like James I-can-get-any-girl-I-want Potter. At least, not knowingly.

_CHAPTER ONE: __**P**__rongs, __**M**__oony, and __**S**__irius_

I peered anxiously down the stairs, praying that the common room below was empty. It should be; today marked the second school trip to Hogsmeade village, and only a seldom few stayed in the castle at times such as these. I was one of them. Had it been any other time of the month, I'd be in the village with my friends. But of course, Mother Nature—that bitch—had other plans, namely excruciating cramps. _Figures, _I thought as I descended the stairs to the common room. I sighed deeply with relief when the only sound that met my ears was that of the crackling fire. I plopped down on the sofa nearest the fire and spread out, snuggling deep under a nearby afghan. I grimaced and closed my eyes as yet another wave of pain shot through my body. What, exactly, had the female population done to deserve this? I was granted a few precious moments of silence before I heard the slam of a door and muffled voices above me. I sat up as one, two, three sniggering boys came sauntering down the stairs from the boys' dormitory. _Shit. _

"Hey, Evans! Fancy meeting you here!" James Potter called loudly. I groaned as he began making his way over to me.

"What do you want?" I said flatly as he stopped in front of the sofa. His usual followers, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, took up their respective places on Potter's right and left.

Sirius chuckled. "It's nice to see you, too."

"Sorry," I said rather snidely, "I was under the impression that I was alone."

"Merlin, Evans, what do you _do _when no one else is around?" Potter joked, indicating the afghan that covered my midriff and lower half. I rolled my eyes; typical.

"Witty, Prongs, really witty," Remus chided, ever the adult.

Potter ignored the remark. "Seriously, Evans, what gives? We thought you, of all people, would be enjoying the carefree joys of Hogsmeade village on this fine avvy."

"And I thought you three would have something better to do that lounge around here taking the mickey out of me!" I snapped. Seeing the boys' eyes widen at my sudden outburst, I mentally slapped myself for being so harsh. Damn these mood swings.

"Whoa, Evans, don't get your knickers in a knot," Potter said, holding up his hands in defeat as he sat down near my feet. I hoped my disgust wasn't too obvious as he put a hand on my leg.

"What, is it that time of the month or something?" Sirius mumbled.

"I—yeah," I sighed. No point in denying it; if I was lucky, it would even scare them away.

"Oh," Potter said, shifting his weight away from me as if I carried some disease. Sirius, however, was not fazed. He knelt down near my head and looked at me sympathetically, a twinkle in his eye.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Evans. Moony here's got one, too," he cracked, jerking his head toward his friend. Remus tried to pass off his laugh as a cough, and even I couldn't help giggling at Sirius's joke. Potter, apparently deciding that I wasn't a ticking time bomb after all, put his hand on my leg again and shot me that oh-so-charming smile that had struck down every girl in school. That is, every girl except me. I still refused to acknowledge his good looks, however obvious they may be.

"You know something, Evans?" He said thoughtfully.

"What's that, Potter?"

"I know a spell that can help fix your little problem," he said, eyeing me mischievously. I burst out laughing.

"Right," I gasped, partly from lack of breath and partly from pain. "I'm going to let _you _near that part of my body." Sirius snorted, Remus smiled, and Potter shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

"Because I really want to see your 'second wand.'"

Sirius sucked in his breath. "Tough luck, Prongsie."

I rolled my eyes again. "Get out of here, Potter. Leave me and my girl issues alone."

"Well I would, but your mesmerizing eyes are making it hard," Potter said without hesitation. Sirius nearly choked on the air he was breathing as he stifled more guffaws.

"Enough with the double entendres, Potter. You are as thick as shit in the neck of a butterbeer bottle if you think a line like that is going to win me over."

"Ah, you love it," he replied, finally getting up from the sofa. "Come on, Padfoot, Moony. Let's leave Little Miss PMS in peace." With that, the boys departed through the portrait hole. "Hey, Evans," I heard Potter call.

"What."

"Hope you feel better," he said, winking as I stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed and shot me with his signature grin again before exiting the common room. I sighed. Yes, James Potter could be a little arsehole. But Merlin, he sure could be charming as well.

**Well, there you have it! The first chapter of my first-ever Marauders fanfic! Reviews welcome!**

**And tell me, guys…who's YOUR favorite Marauder? **


	2. Chapter 2: What the Hippogriff?

**Well, seeing as chapter 1 was **_**extremely **_**well-received, here's chapter 2! I hope you like it just as much :D I know it's short, but that's why I'm doing updates almost daily for this story…anyway, here ya go!**

_CHAPTER TWO: What the Hippogriff?_

I dreaded going to dinner that evening; I really didn't need any sniggering comments from "the Marauders" about our little encounter earlier. What I got, however, was much different.

"Hey, Evans." Merlin, if I had a Sickle for every time those words left Potter's mouth, I'd be filthy rich. Potter slid in beside me on the bench, Sirius and Remus seated across the table. To my surprise, he didn't go off on a tangent and blurt out to the whole of Gryffindor House what had transpired. Instead, he threw an arm around my shoulders, earning me several reproachful looks from other Gryffindor girls and a smirk from Sirius. "You feeling better?" He whispered in my ear. To my horror, I felt a blush creeping up my neck. Merlin, as if all these hormones weren't running wild enough already.

"She is now," Sirius snorted.

"No thanks to you," I mumbled. "Geroff." I pushed Potter's arm away and tried to focus on the chicken on my plate. Potter looked me over once more with a haughty look before sliding down the bench. Sirius, ever the loyal friend, followed suit. Remus, however, leaned across the table to me.

"Can I help you?" I asked, a tad ruder than I had intended. I was still sour about Sirius's last comment.

"Don't mind Padfoot," Remus said calmly. He had the best voice; I could listen to him talk all day. "He's just looking for a laugh."

"Well, it looks like he got it," I grouched, not in the mood to hear Potter and Sirius defended. Remus laughed.

"And Prongs, well, he's just…Prongs." He paused. "He really does care about you, you know. It's not just an act."

Hold on. I always knew that James I'm-so-hot Potter wanted to get in my knickers, but now he actually cared about my feelings? _Right_, I thought. _Now he's going to tell me that Sirius is waiting for "the one" and has kicked his habit of shagging every girl in years 3-7. _"Huh," was all I managed to say before Remus left to join his partners-in-crime. I looked over at them, knowing without a doubt that the piece of parchment they were poring over was anything but a Potions essay. Potter met my eyes and smiled from behind his glasses; I looked away. _Sweet Merlin_, I thought. _What is happening to me?_

**Well, there you have it! Short but sweet…like Professor Flitwick!**

**So tell me…what's your favorite spell?**


	3. Chapter 3: Prior to Potions

**Disclaimer:**** Accio rights to Harry Potter! …Damn it. On to Plan B.**

**Okay, I've gotten some reviews saying the chapters should be longer. Let me explain—I originally wrote this story in a notebook—yes, **_**by hand**_**—so the chapters look a lot longer on lined paper than they do when typed up. Second, I know the chapters are short, but since I already have them all ready to go, you won't have to wait long for new stuff to read. ANYWAY! Here's chapter 3, as promised :D**

_CHAPTER THREE: Prior to Potions…_

_James's P.O.V_

The next morning started like any other; I was awoken when a wall of fluff hit my face. Moony hurled his pillow at me and Padfoot in turn, trying to pull us from sleep. "Take it off, baby, take it off…" Padfoot mumbled.

"You're dreaming again, mate," I said, chucking a shoe at his head (much more effective than a pillow, I might add).

"Come on, Prongs," Moony shouted as I lazily pulled on my crumpled robes over a wrinkled shirt and black pants. "We're going to be late for breakfast. If we hurry, there might still be some of those ginger muffins left." Padfoot, finally among the living, sniggered as he looped his Gryffindor tie carelessly around his neck.

"Ah, but it's not _that _kind of ginger he wants, Moony. Or that kind of muffin," he added as an afterthought.

"Stuff it," I replied, pulling on my shoes and hiding a smile.

"Oh, you know it's true," Moony stated matter-of-factly. "It's always Lily this—"

"—Evans that," Padfoot finished on cue. "You insult her just so you get to say her name."

"I said stuff it!" Grabbing my wand, I quickly flicked it and tightened both their ties until they had to pull them away for fear of suffocation.

"Tosser," Moony gasped, rubbing his neck. I grinned; mischief managed. In all honesty, their teasing was about as unwelcome as a warm slice of pumpkin pie. They'd known about my thing for Lily Evans ever since I had charmed her hair into knots during our first year.

"Prongs, get your head out of the clouds. Or, more accurately, the gutter. If you don't hurry up, all you'll get to see of Evans is her arse leaving the Great Hall!" Padfoot said.

"In that case, let's wait a little longer," I said, smirking. Padfoot and Moony sniggered as we grabbed our bags and began the trek to the Great Hall.

"You have got it bad for her, mate," Padfoot observed.

"Come off it, it isn't like you wouldn't get in her knickers, too," Moony rebutted.

"Yeah, but this one here—" he jerked a finger in my direction—"would render me unable to have children if I ever shagged her, wouldn't you, Prongsie?"

"Right you are. And don't forget it."

_Lily's P.O.V._

I rose from the table with a contented sigh, brushed a couple bread crumbs off of my robes, and made my way toward ornate double-doors of the Great Hall. With a flourish, I flung the doors open and hoisted my bag over my shoulder. I turned a sharp right to go to Potions and crashed headlong into—bloody hell—Potter. The books that wouldn't fit into my bulging bag clunked to the floor.

"Fancy meeting you here, Evans!" he said with amusement as I picked up my fallen books. He was, of course, flanked by Sirius and Remus.

"Hi," I said sourly as Potter stooped to pick up my copy of _Potions for the Precocious _and handing it to me, grinning.

He made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Now, _that's _no way to greet a friend, is it?"

"Oh, we're friends now?"

"I was kind of hoping so." He was killing me, the way he turned those puppy-dog eyes on me. I shook my head and refocused.

"What the hell have you three been up to anyway, getting down here so late?"

Potter whistled. "Watch your language there, eh, Evans?" I rolled my eyes. "We just happened to sleep in a bit, is all."

"And what are _you _doing that's so important?" Sirius inquired.

"I'm on my way to Potions, if you don't mind."

"Shit," Potter said, "Potions is first? I didn't finish the essay…." He ran a hand through his already mussed-up hair.

"Watch your language, eh, Potter?" I mimicked, shouldering my bag and continuing down the corridor to Professor Slughorn's classroom. Class didn't start for another twenty minutes, but now that I had walked away from the "Marauders," I had no choice but to keep going.

….

"Evans!" I turned at the sound of Potter's voice, surprised. For once, he wasn't surrounded by friends.

"I don't need an escort to the dungeons, Potter," I said brusquely, not in the mood to be hit on.

"I wanted to ask you something." I'll admit it; that caught me off-guard. It was usually a stream of corny jokes or a pathetic one-liner that came from his mouth, not a request.

"Uh…what is it? And where are Curly and Moe?" I asked, referring to Sirius and Lupin.

"Who?" Potter asked, clearly confused.

"Never mind, it's a Muggle thing."

"Oh. Well, they're meeting me in the classroom. I wanted to ask you alone." Oh, sweet Merlin. I braced myself for another one of his attempts to ask me on a date, but it never came. "I was wondering if, maybe," he sputtered.

"Spit it out, Potter."

"You're good with Transfiguration, right?"

"Yes," I said with growing suspicion.

"Well, uh, I'm not. I'm bloody terrible, really," He said honestly.

"Yes, you are."

"Do you think, maybe, you could help me? I don't mean copying your answers!" He amended when I opened my mouth in protest. "I mean, could you…tutormemaybe?"

"Why don't you ask _Moony _or _Padfoot_?" I asked, slightly snarkily. Oops.

"They're just as bad at it as I am. Well, not Moony so much, but he's got enough shit going on in his screwed-up life already," he said with a playful smile. I laughed despite myself.

"Fine."

"You'll do it?" He was truly shocked.

"For a little while, I guess."

"Thanks, Evans!" He said, shifting his bag from one shoulder to the other. "I should catch up to the guys, but really…thanks."

"No problem," I whispered as he jogged down the corridor.

"I owe you one, Evans!" I shook my head as he disappeared around the corridor. I glanced at the gold wristwatch my parents had given me for my sixteenth birthday; I had ten minutes until class. Just then, my best friend, Erica Harlington, appeared at my side.

"What was that all about?" she asked apprehensively. "That was James, wasn't it? Wasn't it?" Oh, bloody hell, here we go. Erica had been convinced for years that Potter and I were destined to be together, and had been trying to convince me to go out with him since our second year.

"Yeah, it was," I said, walking briskly towards Potions.

"And?"

"He wants me to tutor him." Erica squealed with delight, and I shushed her.

"That's brilliant!" She said in a lower voice, a devious expression lighting up her face.

"It's just studying, Erica."

"Whatever you say, Lil. This is the opportunity you've been waiting for!"

"Correction—_you've _been waiting for."

"Give him a chance, for me!"

I sighed as we reached the classroom. "The only thing I'll be giving him a chance at is passing Transfiguration."

**And there you have it! A little longer than the others, because a LOT of stuff happened before Potions class ;)**

**So tell me, what would Amortentia smell like to you? I'd smell crisp autumn air, Christmas trees and chocolate chip cookies :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Transfiguration and Tension

**Disclaimer:**** J.K. Rowling is actually my pen name, so the series is all mine after all. What, no takers? Sigh…it was worth a shot. Maybe someday I'll own it…**

**I cannot thank you all enough for the reviews! 16 in three days? That's amazing. You guys are great; I'm so happy you love the story so much! Also, thank you to lucyjoan for pointing out a grammar mistake in Chapter 3 (it's fixed now :D)! **

**Now, let us see what happens when a certain Mr. Potter and Miss Evans do some homework…**

_CHAPTER FOUR: Transfiguration and Tension_

The day was rather uneventful, and I returned to the common room the evening with two essays to write and an aching shoulder from carrying my overstuffed bag around all day. I sat down in the last empty armchair and spread out a piece of parchment. "Hey, Lily," Erica said, pausing briefly next to my chair. Suddenly, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and in _they _walked. "Well," Erica giggled, "I'll leave you to your work!" She flounced off to the dormitory and was replaced almost instantaneously by Potter.

"So," he said. "Transfiguration."

"Not now, Potter."

"You said you'd help me!" he exclaimed defiantly.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to drop everything just so I can cater to your needs."

"Ah, I get it," Potter said with a suggestive wink, "you don't want to have an audience."

"Bugger off, Potter. Transfiguration can wait till after dinner."

"Alright, alright." James held his hands up in defeat. "See you then, Evans."

….

"Alright, James, tell me what the assignment was."

"Two rolls of parchment on the importance of proper wand movement when performing animal-to-object transformations," he recited in a bored voice. Then, his face lit up. "Hey!"

"What?" I asked.

"You called me James."

Oh. "Yeah, I—I guess I did."

"So, does that mean I can call you Lily now? Because, well, calling you Evans makes me think of my Uncle Evan, and he's old and warty, so—"

"I remind you of warty old men?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.

His eyes twinkled. "It's a turn-on."

"You're disgusting!" I said, laughing.

"You like it."

"I _like _sleeping. So let's get this essay done."

"Right. Where do I start?"

"Put your name at the top. That is, if you know how to spell it," I teased.

"Aren't you a charmer."

"Come on, I have to finish mine before bed, too."

"Relax, Evans! I mean, Lily." His quill scratched across the parchment as he wrote.

Two hours and several long minutes later, we were faced with severe frustration and an empty common room. I had long since completed my own essay and had spent the last forty-five minutes giving James writing tips and correcting the facts he had gotten wrong. He was now on the last paragraph of his composition.

"Almost done, Lily!" He said for the fourth time.

"Excellent, James," I replied, paging through _Goblin Revolts of the 1930s _while I waited to look over James's essay, which was no doubt wrought with spelling errors.

"And…finished!" James shouted, whipping his quill with a flourish.

"Give it here, I'll proof it." He handed me his essay, written in untidy scrawl, and I began looking it over. After a couple of minutes, I glanced up to see James sitting in a comfortable, slouching position, staring at me. I shot him a quizzical look.

"You're so serious," he told me, a smile playing around his lips.

"I'm concentrating."

"Hmm."

"Pass me that inkpot." James raised an eyebrow. "_Please._"

"Better." He held it out to me and I reached for it, wincing as the sore muscles in my shoulder were strained. This did not go unnoticed. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just my shoulder. My bag is really heavy; carrying the sodding thing around all day takes a toll after a while. I have so many books—what are you doing?" He had gotten up and circled around me. Before I even had time to think, I felt his strong hands massaging my shoulders.

"Feel better?" he asked softly as he kneaded my muscles.

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks and looked down at his essay once more. Clearing my throat, I said, "You, uh, spelled _Vera Verto_ wrong. And Maurice the Malevolent died due to a spell malfunction, he wasn't murdered. You—"

"Lily. You're babbling."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

"You know, the point of a backrub is to make you relax," he said, moving his hands closer to my neck and hitting a sensitive spot. Sweet Merlin, it felt good. But this was James Potter.

"Uhm," I stuttered, standing up in less time than it took to Apparate. "I'm going to go to bed."

James's hands abruptly stopped moving. "Alright," he said.

"Okay."

"'Night."

"Mhmm."

"Bye."

"Bye." I gathered my things and hurried up the stairs, pausing at the top when I heard James's voice. "You really _should _relax a little, Lily. I'm always available." He winked and gave me a cute smile, his eyes laughing behind his glasses. I nodded before pushing the door of the dormitory open. I was not going to sleep a wink, of that I was certain.

**Damn, that Lily Evans is a lucky girl! Now, if only she'd realize it. All in good time, faithful readers, all in good time….**

**So, what would **_**your**_** Patronus be? Mine, you ask? Definitely a horse.**


	5. Chapter 5: Between the Shelves

**Disclaimer:**** Nope. Still not mine.**

**Once again, I can't thank you enough for all the reviews! Keep 'em coming! Oh, and thanks to You know who () for pointing out a spelling error! It has been **_**Evanesco**_**'d. **

**Just a heads-up, I have a PACKED weekend, so I may not be able to update tomorrow (My History of Magic essay is due Monday, and surprise, surprise! I haven't started it.). So please don't hate me if there's no new chapter tomorrow…I'll do my best to get it posted ASAP. **

**Now, Imperio! Read!**

_CHAPTER FIVE: Between the Shelves_

"Come on, out with it!"

"No, Erica."

"Come off it; tell me how it went!" She had been needling me for supposed details about my first night tutoring James since I woke up.

"There's nothing _to _tell," I said. "I helped him write his Transfiguration essay, and then we went to bed."

She gasped at my last words. "I knew it!"

I rolled my eyes. "I did _not_ sleep with him, and you know it. We wrote, and that was that."

"I don't believe you," Erica said, feigning sadness. She was right; getting a shoulder massage from James Potter certainly wasn't nothing.

"Fine. But I can't tell you here, got it?" I gestured to the crowded benches near us and the no doubt curious ears that lurked nearby. Erica squealed.

"You had better tell me, Lily!"

"I will. Later."

…

Going through the motions of the day was about as pleasant as having to give a Blast-Ended Skrewt vitamins. Erica was practically jumping out of her robes with anticipation by the time our free period came around, and I had felt James's eyes on me on more than one occasion throughout the course of the day.

"Lily," Erica said in a sing-song voice as we signed into the library under the beady eyes of Madame Pince, "time to tell me!" I sighed as I set my bag down on a secluded table in the back corner of the library. It was the moment of truth.

"Okay." Despite myself, I was beginning to feel excited to tell Erica what had transpired in the common room between me and "the most desirable boy at Hogwarts," as she put it. "We worked on his essay for about two hours—"

"Two hours? Huh. I guess brains didn't come with the looks…."

I laughed. "Two hours. And we were sort of talking, but nothing really deep." Erica looked disappointed. "And then, when he finished, the common room was empty except for him and me."

"Oh, shit!" Erica said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Stuff it!" I looked around for any eavesdroppers before continuing. "We didn't do anything. Well, I didn't."

"Oh, SHIT! You let him do the dirty work, then?"

"Erica, shh! It wasn't like that, he—he gave me a shoulder massage," I finished lamely.

"What?" Erica said in an excited whisper.

"I dunno. He handed me an inkpot so I could look over his essay, right? Well, it hurt my shoulder when I reached for it because of this bloody bag, so he came around me and just started rubbing my shoulders."

"And?"

"And _what_?"

"Was he good at it?"

"Yeah, he was," I admitted. The boy hand some nice hands.

"That was so sweet of him!" Erica gushed, propping her head in one hand and gazed at me with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"I suppose it was." I gently touched my shoulder in the spot that James had just hours before. Erica snapped out of her trance.

"Are you tutoring him again tonight?"

"We're going to study," I replied, absentmindedly doodling on the corner of a sheet of parchment.

"Study what? Anatomy?" Erica snorted. I smacked her lightly on the shoulder, smirking a little.

"Ancient Runes."

"Aww, you're going to be study buddies!"

"Bugger off," I said, taking out a quill to fill out the practice sheet Professor Ductor had assigned; I would quiz James on it later.

"I think you should go out with him."

"I know you do." Erica sat up straighter and leaned on the table.

"Lily, just look at the boy; he's perfect! He's bloody good-looking, witty, charming, popular, and just thick enough to be adorably irritating." I shot her a look.

"Stop."

"Give him a second look. Maybe you'll find something you like!"

"Mm," I said noncommittally. "And what, exactly, am I looking for in a Quidditch player with an ego bigger than the sodding Quaffle and barely enough sense to fill the Snitch?"

"Oh, I don't know. A spark, something to start a fire, something—"

"You sound like my mum's poetry," I teased.

"Whatever. Just don't ignore him! I feel like there's more to James Potter than meets the eye."

"You mean more than just the dashing good looks?" Came a voice from the next aisle over. I heard the _thunk_ of a book falling from a shelf and whirled to see the lean figure of James Potter step into view, Sirius and Remus right behind him. I could have died right there.

"Come on, Evans," Sirius chided, "We know Prongs is sexy; there's no need to be so bashful."

James chuckled and turned to me. "Well, this is uncomfortable, isn't it?"

"I dunno, James, you seem pretty pleased with yourself," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

"As I should be! You know, Harlington," he said to Erica, who squeaked in surprise, "I've never heard 'adorably irritating' before; must be a very high compliment." I stifled a laugh as Erica blushed crimson and suddenly became very interested in her shirtsleeve.

"What do you want?" I asked the three boys.

"Is it a crime to use the library? Sirius asked with mock innocence. I thought for a moment, tapping my chin.

"Yes." Sirius smirked.

"Come on, Padfoot, Moony," James broke in. "These girls clearly are not as awed by our presence as they should be. We'll leave you to your work, ladies," he said, tipping an imaginary hat and disappearing behind the nearest shelf, Sirius and Remus in tow. It wasn't until they had gone that I saw Erica staring at me knowingly.

"Merlin, Lil, you are _so _into him." I jumped at the sound of her voice and hurriedly returned my attention to my Ancient Runes homework, all the while trying to figure out why the hell my face was suddenly as red as my hair.

**I had SO much fun writing this chapter…awkward moments are my specialty! Not to mention I've had stuff like this happen to me…but that's a different story ;)**

**Reviews make my day, so you know what to do!**

**And I want to know—which House are **_**you **_**in? It's Gryffindor all the way for me :D**


	6. Chapter 6: What if I?

**Disclaimer:** **Does owning a Gryffindor scarf and a Firebolt count? 'Cause no joke, I do.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 6!**

_CHAPTER SIX: What if I…?_

That evening, James and I took up our usual seats on the sofa directly in front of the fireplace.

"Alright," James said, stuffing his notes in his bag. "Test me."

"I'm going to read the name of a rune and I want you to tell me its meaning."

"Fair enough," he replied, sitting cross-legged and facing me on the sofa.

"Well, first of all, tell me why the study of Ancient Runes is important."

"It helps us to divulge the writings of the past, further understand the inner workings of minds deceased, and gives way to a myriad of discoveries based on inscriptions written by geniuses before our time."

"A textbook recitation," I joked, "but I'll take it. Can you give me an example of how discoveries of runes have helped to clear up the past?" James thought for a moment.

"506 B.C., Mildred the Morbid's trial. She was going to be executed for a crime she didn't commit when a scribbled note was found in the home of the real culprit, uh…Damien the Dastardly. It was written in runes and translated on the spot by the head of the Wizengamot and was found to be a suicide note and confession written by Damien himself. It, erm, saved Mildred's life."

"James, I honestly don't think you need a tutor," I said.

"This is just memorization. It's the actual runes I have trouble with."

"Well then let's go over those. I'll read you the name of one, and you draw it."

James shook his head. "I've got a better idea. Write it on my hand with your finger, and I'll try to guess which one it is." My heart picked up speed—what the hell?

"Er, okay," I said meekly. "Close your eyes." He obeyed, holding out his hand. I took it in my own, trying not to think about how perfectly they fit together. I flipped his hand over and began to shakily trace a square with two lines through on his palm.

"Easy," he said, smiling at me. "The _hibrah_, also known as the original 'h.'"

I nodded and traced again, this time a shape that resembled a bolt of lightning that had been bent in the middle.

James furrowed his brow. "Z?"

"Nope."

"Huh. What is it?"

"The _casus_. It's a symbol for a chance meeting, or an unlikely event. It looks like this," I said, dropping his hand and drawing it out for him on a scrap of parchment.

"I'll have to remember that one," he said, eyes sparkling in the firelight. I smiled, meeting his brown eyes with my green ones. I continued to "write" on his hand, eventually tracing full sentences across his forearm. "Your turn," he said after what seemed like the thousandth rune. Not bothering to object, I let him take my hand, shivering as his index finger tickled my palm.

I laughed as he did a quick little scribble. "That's Arabelle Hibbin's attempt at writing the rune for 'rain,'" I said. Arabelle was a Hufflepuff in our year who had just never gotten the hang of writing ancient markings.

"Damn, you're good," James remarked. "Close your eyes; let's see if you can get another."

"Okay." I obeyed, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks as James took my hand again. Thank Merlin the common room was dimly lit. I waited for him to trace another rune, but he never did; when he spoke again, his voice was very close.

"What would you do if I kissed you?" I could feel his breath on my skin and felt goose pimples creep up my arms. He had moved closer; our legs were touching and every point of contact felt like it was on fire.

"I don't…I don't know," I whispered, hearing James chuckle softly. I dared not open my eyes. Then, before I had time to work out what was happening, I felt James lean in toward me, closing the gap between us while every cell in my body whizzed like a Sneakoscope would when placed next to a Death Eater. The next second, I felt James's lips, firm and warm, against my own. In that second, every thought I had ever had flew from my mind like a Dementor flees a Patronus. I was kissing James Potter. I was—and then it was over. James pulled away, and the world came crashing back down.

"I'm sorry," James whispered hoarsely as I tried to shake away the mixture of elation and unease that was swirling inside me. "I just—"

"It's fine," was all I managed to get out as I tossed my books and quills pell-mell into my bag. "Good luck on the exam tomorrow," I said in a rush, feeling as if someone had slipped me a Jitterbug Draught.

"Yeah, erm, you too," said James, now spread out over one half of the sofa. "Not that you need it."

"Uh…goodnight then," I stuttered.

"Night, Lily."

_James's P.O.V_

I cursed under my breath as Lily shut the door to the girls' dormitory. How could I have been so damn thick? There went any and all chances I had with Lily Evans. And we had just started to become…not necessarily _friends_, but at least friend_ly. Until you screwed it up, _I reminded myself. But—feeling Lily's hand in mine as we studied Ancient Runes had been far from awkward; it had been almost normal, natural.

Goddammit. Something good had finally come my way of its own accord, and I just _had _to fuck it up in less than a minute.

**Aww, poor James! I'll try to have chapter 7 up sometime tomorrow! Well, unless you don't review. No reviews = no new chapters!**

**So (this one's directed at the girls) we saw Lily's reaction. What would **_**you **_**do if James Potter kissed you? Faint? Cry? Slap him? Rip off his shirt and just go for it? **

**I would most likely shove him away and say, "What the hell, you know I'm with Sirius!"**


	7. Chapter 7: Unlikely Help

**Here's chapter 7! It's probably my favorite out of all of them, just because I adore Sirius to no end XD**

**Read and review!**

_CHAPTER SEVEN: Unlikely Help_

_Lily's P.O.V._

The days that followed James's unexpected kiss were some of the most unpleasant I had ever experienced. James was silent most of the time I was around, shifting his eyes away furtively whenever I caught him looking in my direction. Finally, I had had enough.

It was a crisp Monday morning and I was headed towards the Astronomy tower. Only a handful of students had elected to continue their study of the stars; James was not among them. Sirius Black, however, was. "Sirius," I called as I spotted the boy ascending the spiral staircase to the tower classroom.

"Evans," he said warily, clearly wondering why I had spoken to him.

"I'm sitting with you today."

"May I ask why?" he said as we continued the tiring climb.

"I need you to do something for me."

A smirk danced across his face. "Evans, if you want me that badly, all you have to do is ask."

"Stuff it. It's about James." Sirius shrugged.

"Alright then." When we reached the darkened classroom, Sirius led me to a clothed table in the back of the classroom. After Professor Sidus introduced the day's assignment and sent us off to fill out our eastern sky star charts, Sirius turned to me, his gray eyes curious. "Now, what about my dear Prongsie has got you all hot and bothered?"

"He's acting strange."

"This is news?"

"Witty. Has he…told you anything?"

"Not much, to be honest. He said your little study session didn't go well, and that was that. Why, what did he do?" He asked with a smirk, tossing his dark hair and winking suggestively across the room at Sarah Johnstone, a Ravenclaw. She giggled.

"Well, we were studying runes, and he told me to close my eyes, and—Sirius, are you even listening to me?"

"Wha—? Sorry," he apologized, tearing his gaze away from Sarah's wavy brown hair.

"Anyway, he told me to close my eyes—" Just then, Professor Sidus came over to our table.

"Need any assistance, Miss Evans?"

"No thank you, Professor."

"Mr. Black?"

"All set."

"May I ask why the two of you are seated so far back?" I glanced at Sirius before turning back to Sidus.

"It's more comfortable back here, sir," Sirius replied smoothly.

"Hmm. Make sure you actually complete the work this time, Mr. Black, won't you? I don't want to have to give you another detention."

"With all due respect, Professor," I said blatantly, "it would be much easier to finish our work if you left." Sirius stifled a laugh at the professor's astonished look and I smiled sweetly at the man as he left. After Professor Sidus was out of earshot, Sirius whipped back around to face me, leaning back in his chair so that only two legs were on the ground. He folded his hands in his lap, shaking his hair once more.

"Now, where were we?"

"James."

"Ah, yes. Proceed."

"We were studying runes by tracing them on each other's hands—" Sirius snorted. I glared.

"Sorry," he said, eyes twinkling.

"—and then he, uh, kissed me." Sirius nearly toppled off his chair onto the floor.

"He _what?_" Half the class turned to stare at us with looks that both questioned why Sirius and I were sitting together and why he had yelped.

Sidus cleared his throat. "Is something the matter, Mr. Black?"

"No sir. Just, uh…"

"It's nothing, sir," I assured. "Sorry."

Professor Sidus sniffed. "I should hope so! Back to work."

Sirius leaned in towards me. "He kissed you?"

"He kissed me," I repeated, hardly believing the words myself. Sirius shook his head, laughing.

"And you didn't run away?"

"No, I didn't," I said matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" Sirius chuckled.

"I didn't…want to," I whispered so softly that Sirius had to lean in to hear me. I braced myself for a snide comment or at the very least derisive laughter, but Sirius was actually, well, serious for once.

"Really?"

"I—he—it just kind of happened and I wasn't sure what to do and then he, he kissed me! And it was all so surreal because he's always been _Potter_, the big ego and small mind, and then we were _kissing_, and I think I liked it, I think I like him, and—" Sirius held up his hands.

"Slow down! Guys like me can't deal with babbling teenage girls like you."

"Says the bloke with a different lay every night," I retorted, grinning at him. He shrugged, not embarrassed in the slightest.

"So, Evans, why exactly did you come to me with this?"

"You're his best mate! Talk to him, will you? Tell him I'm not angry or afraid he'll rape me next or something."

Sirius gave a dramatic, prolonged sigh that once again turned the class's attention to us. "Fine," he said at long last. "But you have to do the rest. I get the girls in _my_ bed; I don't set them up to be in another."

"You're impossible," I laughed.

"Try irresistible," he said, raising his eyebrows at Sarah and shooting her a—I'll admit it—sexy grin. I knew he was asking her silently what I knew he had asked nearly every other girl from fourth year up. Of course, she nodded.

"Like I said, Sirius, impossible." He simply laughed.

**Ooh, lucky Sarah Johnstone! ;) Sirius is such a player…but I love him to death!**

**Question time! You know the drill :D **

**We've talked about our Patronuses…now, what would your boggart be? Mine? A pile of burning Harry Potter books. The horror! Or someone being tortured…something about it, even in movies, just makes me queasy X( **


	8. Chapter 8: Kiss and Make Up?

**Disclaimer:**** If anyone asks, I didn't know the little "c" in the circle meant copyright…**

**Voila! Chapter 8! Keep those reviews coming, guys, they make my day!**

_CHAPTER EIGHT: Kiss and Make Up?_

Sirius and I walked to lunch together after Astronomy let out. As we entered the Great Hall, I noticed James and Remus seated at the far end of the Gryffindor House table, poring over that bloody parchment they always had with them, pointing at it in earnest. It looked like some sort of map.

"Oi, Moony, Prongs!" Sirius shouted. The boys looked up; James did a double-take upon seeing me and I gave him a weak smile. Sirius leaned down to my ear. "Maybe you had better let me handle this."

I nodded and made my way toward Erica as more people began filing in to eat. "So, Arithmancy was a bitch today," she said when I reached her.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, distracted, watching James discreetly out of the corner of my eye. I saw him arguing with Sirius for a moment before he relaxed and snuck a fleeting glance at me over his shoulder.

"Lily," Erica said in a singsong voice. "Lily!" I snapped to attention. "Merlin, Lil, pay attention!"

"Sorry."

"So, as I was saying—"

"Erica, I think I like James," I blurted out.

"What?" she asked, dumbfounded. Then, realization of what I had just said hit her. "You like him? That's brilliant! See, what did I tell you? I knew it! What made you change your messed-up little mind, Lil?"

"Well, we sort of kissed." I honestly thought Erica's eyes were going to pop out of her head and roll across the floor of the Great Hall.

"Tongue?" I sighed; typical Erica Harlington.

"No, it was just a—" She cut me off.

"Say no more, Lily! I will make_ sure_ you two get together."

"No!" I said forcefully. "I mean, don't. I have a plan."

"Ooh, a feminine trap! I knew you had an inner vixen in there somewhere!" she squealed.

"Come off it. I'm going to be nice, that's all."

"Lily, listen to yourself. You do _not _get into James Potter's bed by being nice. Just get down on your knees in front of him next time you're alone in the common room…"

I choked on my butterbeer. "Who said anything about getting down on my knees?" I nearly shrieked.

Erica winked. "Bye!"

"Erica!" I called as she exited the Great Hall with a suggestive eyebrow raise and a glance in James's direction. Merlin, was I in trouble. Plan? Right. I was about as comfortable getting together with guys as I was milking the Venomous Tentacula in Herbology last year.

…..

"Hey, Evans!" I jumped at the sound of James's voice behind me as I got comfortable in an armchair in the common room later that night.

"Evans? I know no one of that name," I replied coolly.

"Sorry, Lily."

"Much better." I turned to face him. "Hi, James."

"Hey. So Sirius tells me you aren't mad?"

"Never was," I said truthfully. James's eyebrows rose.

"So, Little Miss Lily I'm-too-cool-for-James-Potter Evans has decided she actually likes me?"

"Well, I don't know," I said, looking like I was reconsidering things, "you kissed me."

"I know."

"Why would you do that?"

"Dunno," he mumbled. Gone was his usual bravado, replaced by a look of humiliation. "I'm really sorry, Lily."

My eyes widened dramatically. "What? James Potter is actually apologizing for his own actions?" James grinned and raised one eyebrow. Damn, he's attractive when he does that. Who am I kidding; he's always attractive.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. Do I get a prize?"

"Consider your prize a second chance," I said testily, looking up as Sirius and Remus sauntered towards us.

"Oi Prongs!" Sirius called. "You coming or not?"

"I'm a little busy at the moment!" James called. Sirius smirked and made a suggestive motion in our direction. James shot him the two-fingered salute, much to the amusement of our fellow Gryffindors.

"Where are you three gallivanting off to now?" I asked James. "Not another prank on the Slytherin first years, I hope; that Belching Gas was just cruel."

"Our intentions are for me to know and for you to hopefully _not_ find out," James replied with a coy smile, joining his mates. I watched the three of them sneak out the portrait hole with that same piece of parchment and suspiciously bulky robes. The students of Gryffindor House had long since stopped questioning "the Marauders'" mysterious absences; they usually explained themselves the next day when a teacher fell through their seemingly solid chair or when the Potions classroom was transformed into a miniature Quidditch pitch. I sighed and rubbed my temples, trying to get the image of James's smile out of my head. I was falling hard for him, with no way to stop myself.

**Ooh, Lily's feeling all fluttery! I know, I know, you wanted them to kiss, you wanted them to be all cutesy and sweet and you wanted an "Awwww!" moment. Some of you (cough cough WeasleyAndProud cough cough) may have even wanted Lily to be killed in a freak accident involving Exploding Snap or something so you could have James all to yourself. **

**I promise the lovey-dovey stuff is coming!**

**So tell me; on a Hogsmeade trip, where would you head to first? Me? Honeydukes, no question. **

**Reviews make my Patronus stronger, so get writing!**


	9. Chapter 9: Walkin' and Talkin'

**Get ready for more fluffiness!**

_CHAPTER NINE: Walkin' and Talkin'_

Morning brought an autumnal chill to the castle, the kind of chilly-warm temperature that I absolutely loved. I practically ran outside for my free period, longing to be outdoors for a change. I breathed in the earthy smell of fallen leaves and crisp air as I rushed out into the courtyard after shedding the heavy burden of my schoolbag. I plopped down on a stone bench under a spreading oak tree in the center of the courtyard and relished the feel of the air as it danced across my skin, carried by a soft breeze that lifted my loose curls. James had asked me to wait for him; he just had to grab something from his dormitory.

"Lily!" Speak of the devil. "You waited!"

"Clearly," I replied as he jogged up to me with Sirius and Remus.

"Let's walk," he said, looping his Gryffindor scarf around his neck.

"All of us?" I asked, looking toward Remus and Sirius.

"No, he's just going to leave us like chopped liver," Sirius said sarcastically, bewitching a nearby leaf to twirl like a ballerina on the ground before bursting into purple flames and emitting a high-pitched _wheeee! _

"As a matter of fact, he is," Remus said, extinguishing Sirius's still smoking leaf and giving his friend a pointed stare. "Come on, Padfoot. I heard Sarah Johnstone was looking for you."

"Was she now?" Sirius said, suddenly intrigued. "So she _did _like it fast!"

"Tosser," James said after Sirius had left with Remus. "Sorry about him."

"No problem. So, are we gonna walk?"

"Let's go!" We strolled along the edge of the lake under the weak autumn sun, talking about this and that. Suddenly, James stopped. I halted as well, tugging my jacket tighter and letting the wind toy with my hair. "Are you sure everything's alright with us?"

"James!" I said, slightly exasperated. "I told you we're okay. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a liar."

"Good," he said, "I'm glad."

"So am I." I shivered as a gust of wind that carried a hint of impending winter shook a plethora of leaves from the surrounding trees.

"Cold?" James asked.

"A bit," I answered, trying to get some feeling back into my fingers, as they were coldest. Fingerless gloves, I observed, really weren't as effective as one might think.

"C'mere." I hesitated. "Come on, Lily, I don't bite; that's Moony." I laughed and, giving in, stepped toward him. He quickly threw an arm around my shoulders and held me close; I began to feel warmer immediately due to our close proximity and bit my lip as I smiled. James looked down at me and I could tell he wanted to say something, but he merely rubbed my upper arm as we stood at the water's edge. The friction warmed me even further. In return, I slid my left arm around his waist, liking the way we fit in each other's arms. I shook my head, finding it hard to believe that just last month I had been disgusted by the mere sight of James Potter. "So," he said, "I have a question."

"What's that?"

"What made you change your mind? About me, I mean." I should have seen the query coming, but it still made my heart skip a beat.

"What do you mean?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Lily."

I sighed. "Well, I don't know exactly what happened. We're—"

"—friends who sort of kissed and now have no clue how to feel or what to do next?" he offered.

I smiled. "Yeah, that."

"So…." James prompted.

"So maybe I wasn't thinking straight." James's face fell, but I continued. "Or maybe I saw something in you I didn't see before. Maybe it was both," I admitted. "Either way, I'm glad it happened."

"Me too. So…now what?" James took his arm away from my shoulders and faced me.

"Not sure," I said.

"Now that's not a very good answer, is it, Lily?" he said, his eyes twinkling and a playful grin on his face.

"No, it's not. Sorry."

James brushed some stray hair away from my face and then slid his hands down my arms, pausing when he reached my fingers and looking down at them as he did so. He took my hands in his own and began to weave his fingers through mine, making them tingle. "Got an answer yet?" He let go of my hands and wound his strong yet gentle arms around my waist, pulling me to him. I tried to slow my whirring mind as our bodies pressed together; everywhere we made contact was on hyper alert. The last time I had felt this was, well, right before James kissed me. Merlin, what was it about him that made me feel like someone had spiked my pumpkin juice with firewhiskey? I swallowed and tentatively placed my hands on James's chest, heart beating erratically.

"Yes," I breathed, rising up on my tiptoes and relying on James's strong hold to keep me in place. Then, without warning, I kissed James Potter. It wasn't a very long kiss, nor was it very sensual; it was more reassuring than anything else. Erica would be disappointed by the lack of tongue. I, however, thought it was perfect.

**Ah, nothing like a nice, marshmallowy chapter! Tell me what you thought about it in a review! **

**And if there's no new chapter for a couple days, don't hate me! Come on, I deserve **_**some**_** slack seeing as I've been doing daily updates, if I do say so myself (and I do :P)! I'm actually suffering from mild writers' block. I know what I want to have happen and in my head it's perfect, but I just can't find the right words to describe it, you know? I'll try to get it posted soon; I have two half-days coming up so I'll have time. Thanks for understanding; you guys are the best!**

**And tell me, what position would you play for your House's Quidditch team? Chaser for me!**


	10. Chapter 10: Change of Mind

**Disclaimer:**** I would have gotten away with it if my Invisibility cloak hadn't gotten caught on the door handle and fallen off…**

**Say it; I'm awesome. Here's chapter 10! It's over 1,300 words, so don't complain that it's too short! Say it again; I'm awesome :D**

_CHAPTER TEN: Change of Mind_

_James's P.O.V._

"Yes," she whispered. The next second, she was pressing her lips to mine. My heart nearly stopped; Lily Evans was kissing me. Of her own free will. Almost instantaneously, I started kissing her back. Her mouth felt so warm beneath mine, and it nearly killed me when we pulled apart.

"Lily," I said hoarsely as I opened my eyes and looked down at the beautiful, red-headed girl who only weeks ago avoided saying my very name. She smiled, her emerald eyes bright and cheeks flushed from the combination of the cold air and a heated kiss. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. In return, I held her close, breathing in the faintest hint of a floral scent on her hair. All of a sudden, I lifted her off the ground.

"James!" she squealed, taken by surprise. I spun her around once before setting her down on the ground again.

"What?" I asked innocently. She laughed again, and it was incredible to know that I had caused her joy. We stood for a few more seconds, unsure of where to go next, before I broke the silence. "Come on. We should get back up to the castle."

And so, we walked. Lily took my hand in her gloved one, linking her arm slightly around mine. "What class is next, anyway?"

"History of Magic; we've got about fifteen minutes."

Lily looked crestfallen. "I guess we _should_ get going." We walked in silence, but it wasn't like the uncomfortable quietness that followed an exploding potion or one of Sirius's overly suggestive comments in the middle of a professor's lesson; it was a very calm, easy reticence. And as we walked towards the History of Magic classroom, I didn't feel the sense of dread I usually did. Lily Evans had kissed me. That was all I needed.

_Lily's P.O.V._

I didn't pay any attention in History of Magic; Erica took notes for both of us while I tried to weed through the jumbled thoughts in my mind. _I kissed James; James kissed me back. We kissed each other. What the bloody hell happened? I feel like dancing in the middle of the Quidditch pitch; I want to cry. What was I thinking? Was I high…? No, I couldn't have been... I need a Time-Turner so I can go back and kiss him longer. Wait! I don't want to be with _Potter_…oh, who am I kidding? I want to grab that boy and snog him senseless, I want to—_

"You okay, Lily?" Erica asked, concerned. I had yet to tell her about The Kiss.

"Yeah, fine…" I looked around; we were in the middle of a crowded corridor. Had I really been out of it that long?

"Are you sure? You kept smiling, then frowning, then trying not to giggle all through History of Magic. I tried everything to get your attention; I even tried telling you Sirius and I shagged in your bed, but you didn't—hey!" I had grabbed the sleeve of her robes and pulled her out of the way of the throng of students crowding the halls. I pulled her into a little alcove by one of the windows.

"I kissed James!" I squealed, unable to control myself any longer.

Erica stared at me, shocked. "_You _kissed _him?_" I nodded. She actually jumped up and down; I had to hold her down when we started getting looks from students nearby. She lowered her voice. "How much tongue was there?"

"None, actually." Erica groaned so loudly I was shocked no one professors came over to break up what they thought was…stuff.

"You are _not _serious," she said, exasperated.

"Nope, I'm Lily," I said with a straight face. Erica glared at me, clearly irked that I had not tasted James Potter.

"Merlin, Lil, if it had been me…."

"…you would have ripped off his shirt and shagged him right there," I said disapprovingly.

"I know!" She said earnestly. I laughed; she was just as impossible as Sirius. I was surprised that the two of them _hadn't _been with each other yet. "So," she asked, "are you two together now?"

"I think so; he's not so bad after all," I said as we resumed walking; I was headed towards Charms and Erica was off to Divination, a subject that I _still _didn't know why she continued taking.

"Forgive me, Lily, but didn't I say that, oh, _months _ago?"

"You might have mentioned it," I said evasively. Merlin, why did she always have to be _right_?

"I knew you'd come to," she said matter-of-factly. She stopped walking; we had reached the split in our routes. "See you at dinner!"

I waved at her and turned left while she went up the staircase to our right. Minutes later, I had reached the Charms classroom. I smiled when I saw James in his usual seat, messing around with Sirius and Remus as Professor Flitwick tried to win the class's attention. He may have succeeded, had we been able to see his over the stack of papers he was attempting to hand out. I smiled, and, being in such a good mood as I was, took the load off his arms and continued his task.

"Ten points to Gryffindor, Miss Evans!" he squeaked. I lay three papers down where James, Sirius, and Remus were sitting, catching James's eye and winking. The look on Sirius's face was priceless as he turned to James with a what-the-bloody-hell-was-that-all-about look. I took it he hadn't told them yet. That was about as long as my good spirits lasted; Professor Flitwick gave us enormous amount of homework: two and a half rolls of parchment on "what can happen when you perform two emotional charms on one person at the same time, and why this is an extremely foolish thing to do," due tomorrow. I sighed; I'd be up late with this one.

…..

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," I said as I crossed out another line of my Charms essay. I didn't normally mind Flitwick's assignments; however, this one was one of the torturous easy-but-takes-a-lifetime types and I just couldn't get my words down on paper the way I wanted to. It was well past midnight; Sirius and I were the only ones left working in the common room (As we had elected to take Astronomy, today had been the one day we had no free period after Charms).

"You too?" Sirius said, looking up from his parchment and letting out a long sigh.

"And to think," I said furiously, "that I _helped _the tiny bastard in class today! And he gave me points for it! That two-faced—" I stabbed my quill into the inkpot next to me—"double-crossing—" I angrily scribbled some nonsense down—"wanker!" Sirius chuckled.

"Win some, lose some," he said, grabbing my wrist before I could splatter any more ink across my essay.

"How far have you gotten?" I asked him, spitting a strand of hair out of my face. If there was one thing I hated, it was doing something when I could be asleep.

"Just finished. You?"

"I still need four more inches. How are _you _ahead of _me?_" I asked.

"Thanks, Evans," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. So, what, do you need a concluding sentence?"

"Yes."

"Just repeat your introductory sentence with fancier words; that's what I did. That two-timing, double-crossing wanker as you call him loves a good vocabulary," he smirked. I laughed weakly.

"Don't tell him I said that," I warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Look, Lily, I have to get to bed. I probably won't get much sleep tomorrow night; Sarah wants to—"

I held up my hand. "Spare me the details."

Sirius laughed. "Someone's feeling sexually out of shape. Let me get James," he teased, ruffling my tousled hair. It clung to my face , staticky, and I smoothed it with difficulty.

"Bad dog," I scolded. "Go to your room." Sirius burst into laughter as he gathered up his things.

"Yes, Master," he replied before straightening up.

"Is he…up there?" I asked out of curiosity, referring, of course, to James.

"Yes," Sirius said. "It _is _the boys' dormitory."

"Right. Well, uh, goodnight, Sirius." He gave me a strange look, as if there was something odd about me that he couldn't place.

"'Night, Evans." He ascended the staircase to the boys' dormitory, leaving me in the vacant common room.

**What, no midnight hookup with James in the common room? Sorry to disappoint. I wanted more of Sirius in here, so I decided to build a little more onto his and Lily's friendship—which is just that, a friendship. So don't go getting any ideas—she's clearly with James. This was a bit of a filler chapter, but I had to put some more stuff in about James and Lily finally being a couple before I could move on to the next big event…which is coming up in the next chapter! ;D**

**And here's your "review job"…**

**List the Harry Potter movies from your favorite to your least favorite :D**

**For me it's a tie for first place between 1 and 7p2 (classics! *gets teary-eyed*), then 3, 7p1, 6, 2, 4, 5. I actually love them all but if I had to rate them, this is how I'd do it :) **


	11. Chapter 11: A Merry Little Christmas

**Disclaimer:**** So close, yet so far….**

**This is the longest chapter in this story to date (over 2,100 words!), and also one of my favorites! I will give a warning; there's some rather intense "romance-y" stuff, so if you're the kind of person who thinks that may be TMI for you, this is your heads-up (you know who you are :P).**

**I do not own the song that I use in this chapter, but you'll definitely recognize it and I **_**highly**_** recommend that you listen to it (look it up on YouTube, maybe?) while you read the part I used it in. I was playing it while I wrote the scene and it adds a whole new level! So yeah, listen to it when it comes up in the chapter :D**

_CHAPTER 11: A Merry Little Christmas_

James and I saw a lot of each other over the next few weeks. Whether it was working together on the day's Potions objective or strolling with or without friends when we had the time, I always enjoyed being with him. Erica had been right; I should have given him a chance long ago—look at what I had been missing out on! We would occasionally steal a kiss here and there, but for the most part were not overly public about our newfound relationship. It was now early December, and already the castle was buzzing with the anticipation of the approaching Christmas holidays. One brisk day, James and I decided to go for a walk by the lake; it was one of the few chances we had to be alone, and we weren't about to let it slip by. A light flurry of snow was falling as we walked, and the flakes danced through the air, perching on everything from the branches of trees to the loose curls of my hair.

"Lily," James asked suddenly, as if he had just been struck with an important thought.

"Yes?" We were walking hand-in-hand, and I looked over and up at James as we strolled.

"Christmas is coming up; I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to come and celebrate with my family? You could stay in our guest room, if you'd like."

I felt a smile spread involuntarily across my face. I had been hoping he would invite me to his place; I had yet to meet his parents and I had learned to dread Christmastime at my house ever since my sister, Petunia, had started dating some man called Vernon (or was it Vermin?). He reminded me of a slab of meatloaf and never failed to make snide comments about anything that displeased him. He and Petunia were perfect for each other. "I'd love to, James! I'll send an owl to my parents straightaway."

"Really?"

"Of course!" I hugged his arm. "I can't wait to meet your family."

"They can't wait to meet you, Lil," James laughed. "Just be forewarned; my mother will probably ask more questions than you can answer."

"I'm sure I'll manage," I said with a smile, turning around to face James and standing on my tiptoes to capture his lips in my own in a quick kiss.

….

The holidays were upon us in the blink of an eye; before I knew it, I had my trunks packed and was saying good bye to friends who were staying at Hogwarts for the duration of the vacation. I took up a seat with James, Sirius, and Remus for the journey home, anxiously awaiting our arrival at King's Cross station. My parents, though a tad disappointed that I was not coming home for Christmas, had agreed to let me stay at the Potters' home on the condition that I had my own room and "stayed safe". Needless to say, it was an awkward letter to read.

At long last, we arrived at King's Cross. James and I said our goodbyes to Sirius and Remus, who would both be staying at the Lupins' home.

"See you soon, eh, mate?" Sirius said, clapping James on the back before pulling him into the most adorable man-hug I had ever seen.

"See you soon," James replied. "Stay human, Moony," he added, hugging Remus as well. I said my goodbyes shortly thereafter before turning to meet James's parents.

"Mum, Dad," James said as we reached the couple. "This is Lily Evans. Lily, meet my parents."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," I said with the utmost decorum.

"And the same to you!" James's mum gushed. "Tell us about yourself, Lily! Did the semester go well? How have your classes been? And, most importantly, have you been keeping our son in check?" I smiled as James gave me an I-told-you-so look. My stay with the Potters had begun.

….

"This pudding is excellent, Mrs. Potter," I complimented, wiping my mouth with my napkin.

"Please, dear, call me Dorea," the plump witch said cheerfully.

"Dorea," I corrected myself. It was Christmas Eve, and we were in the midst of a delectable feast. The Potter, it turned out, were not the hosting type; instead of an official Christmas Eve party, they preferred to have relatives stop in when they pleased, chat for a spell, drop off any gifts, and go on their merry way. It was quite a change from what I was used to; my parents had always been the party-throwers. James's father, Charlus, suddenly leaned back in his chair.

"Dory, darling, you've outdone yourself once again!"

"Are you having any more pudding, dear?" She asked her husband as he rose from the table.

"No more for me," he chortled. "I'm stuffed. In fact, I fancy a kip. Great feast, truly excellent," he mumbled as he headed down the hall.

James gave me a "sorry about him" look from across the table and took a sip of his butterbeer. I giggled; Dorea raised an eyebrow at us from her seat at the head of the table.

"If you two would clear your dishes, thank you," she directed. James and I immediately rose from the table and set our plates by the sink, where a waited sponge began to wash them down. Dorea tapped a radio resembling the ones I had back at home with her wand; Christmas music began to fill the house with that kind of warm feeling only Yule music can bring. James walked slowly over to me as the sweet melody of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" drifted through the enchanted speakers.

"Mum likes the Muggle station," James explained, pulling me close to him. We stood in the center of the Potters' living room, the Christmas tree in the corner casting a soft glow on the room. Dorea must have decided to go to bed as well; she was nowhere to be seen. _It must be later than I thought,_ I mused. Sure enough, when I checked the clock, it read nearly ten. Dorea and Charlus had never been ones to linger very long when they could be sleeping, and judging by the silence coming from their room, they had gone to bed. James took my left hand in his right and placed his other on the small of my back as Frank Sinatra's deep voice reverberated around us.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_Let your heart be light_

_From now on, our troubles will be out of sight…_

"Care to dance?" James asked, the fairy lights on the tree reflected in his circular glasses.

"I'd love to," I replied, draping my free arm over James's left shoulder. We began swaying back and forth, awkwardly at first, but we found a rhythm soon enough.

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

_Make the Yule-tide gay_

_From now on our troubles will be miles away…_

James released his hold on my waist and spun me around, pulling me back in seconds later so that my back was pressed against him.

_Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore_

He had me in a hug from behind, his head resting on my shoulder and his arms around my hips, clasped in front. I could feel the heat of his body through my clothes and my heart began to flutter as we moved together.

_Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more…_

I spun to face James again, resuming our original position.

_Through the years, we all will be together_

_If the fates allow_

_Hang a shining star upon the highest bough_

_And have yourself a merry little Christmas now…_

We swayed in silence for the remainder of the song, relishing this magical moment. As the last of the violins faded away moments later, I leaned my head on James's chest, breathing in the scent that made him, him. I noticed after a few moments that we had stopped our swaying. I looked up at James, who was extremely handsome in the low lighting in his formal Christmas attire. He was wearing a black blazer over a navy blue collared shirt, complete with a dark green tie. It shouldn't have looked good, but on him it looked positively dashing. His hair, messy as always, was falling into his eyes; I pushed it back from his face and we simultaneously leaned in for a kiss. After we broke apart, James looked as if he had suddenly remembered something important, and began patting his pockets.

"James, what—?" I asked.

"I have something for you. An early Christmas gift." I watched in wonder as he drew a small black box out of the pocket of his blazer and handed it to me. I looked at him questioningly but he simply grinned, nodding at me to open it. I slowly lifted the lid off the box and gasped, inside was a silver chain; on it dangled a small charm. I lifted it off of the velvet inside of the box, my mouth open in an awed smile.

"It's beautiful, James," I whispered. "Thank you." The chain and charm sparkled with the glow of the fairy lights as I held it up to get a better look. It was the _casus, _one of the runes I had traced on James's palm, the one that had stumped him, I remembered with a smile. How had he thought of this?

"I had it custom made; thought you might like it," he said with a smile. "C'mere, I'll put it on you." I lifted my curly hair off of my neck so James could fasten the tiny clasp on the necklace. The small, bent lightning bolt shimmered as James put it round my neck. I let my hair fall to one side as James held me and placed a line of kisses along the top of my shoulder. I shivered as his warm lips made contact with my cool skin, feeling the butterflies take flight in the pit of my stomach again. I tilted my head towards James and pressed my lips to his, wanting him more and more with each second that passed. He responded immediately, our lips moving together in a slow, sensual dance.

I ran my hands along his broad shoulders and he cupped my face in his hands. We must have unconsciously moved to the couch, for the next thing I knew, we were seated on the cushions, never breaking our heated kiss. I felt James's hands slide downwards to my waist, pushing me firmly but not too forcefully into the cushions. I couldn't help it; I gave in, and suddenly he was poised over me, and seemingly hesitant about kissing me again, lest I want to stop.

"Don't stop," I breathed, taking hold of his tie and bringing him back down, one hand on his chest and the other tangled in his dark hair. Our mouths crashed together once more and James slid his tongue over my bottom lip, silently asking for entrance. I allowed it right away and our tongues met, battling for dominance. At the same time, I pushed his blazer from his shoulders and loosened his tie, tossing it carelessly aside. He took the hint; his shirt soon followed, leaving only a white V-neck undershirt on him. I lightly felt his muscles through the thin layer of fabric as he kissed a trail down my neck, past the _casus _necklace and right down to the low neckline of my red sweater. It was then that I realized just how much my shirt had slipped down, and how far up my skirt had been hitched when I had wrapped my legs around James's waist. Shortly after that, I realized I didn't care.

James slid his hand under my sweater without warning, searing my skin as he held my waist with a surprisingly gentle touch considering the circumstances. We broke the wonderfully dizzying kiss after a few more heated moments and looked at each other, breathing heavily. I gazed into his hazel eyes, running my hands through his soft hair; he bent his head so that our foreheads touched and I shut my eyes. James's blazer, shirt and tie lay strewn across the floor along with his glasses and both of our pairs of shoes.

"Merry Christmas, Lily," James whispered; his mouth was inches from mine and I could feel his hot breath on my lips.

"Merry Christmas, James," I repeated, kissing him on the cheek before we rolled to one side. I draped an arm across James's smooth chest, feeling the ridges of his toned stomach under my hand. It was then that I decided I _loved _Quidditch. I cuddled up to James, rested my head in the hollow pocket under his shoulder and smiled as he traced circles on my exposed hip, his other around me. The fairy lights on the Christmas tree continued to glow as I fell asleep in his arms.

**Raise your hand if you want to be Lily! That's what I thought :P **

**Please please please review! I mean, come on! You've got to have **_**something **_**to say after reading **_**that **_**lovely little scene ;)**

**And I want to know:**

**Which character do you think would be most fun to play Never Have I Ever (firewhiskey shots version, of course) with? Of course my first pick is James and Sirius (what do you mean they don't count as one person?), but I feel like if anyone would be the surprisingly fun drunk, it'd be Colin Creevey XD**


	12. Chapter 12: New Years, New Things

**Sorry this chapter's a couple days late! Writer's block and Christmas prep leaves precious little time for writing! **

**Anyway, here's chapter 12! It's just a little filler chapter I added to bridge the gap between the Christmas holidays at the Potters' and their return to classes. Hope you enjoy!**

_CHAPTER TWELVE: New Year, New Things_

Needless to say, the Christmas holidays I spent at the Potters' were the most enjoyable I had had in a long time. Christmas morning was excellent; James loved the Broomstick Servicing Kit and new Chaser's gloves I had gotten him, and breakfast was simply superb. The Belgian waffles with whipped cream and pumpkin juice were delectable, and the lightly falling snow outside made everything seem as if it had come out of the pages of a fairy tale.

Hogwarts was just as magical when we returned after the turn of the New Year. It still looked as if it had been coated in confectioner's sugar and the branches of the trees in the forbidden forest were iced over and glistening. The frigid January air stung my rosy cheeks as James helped me carry my trunk off the train upon arrival at Hogsmeade station. Sirius, Remus, and Erica leapt down after us.

"Come on, let's go," I said excitedly once we had all retrieved our luggage. The five of us lifted our trunks with difficulty and began pushing through a crowd of babbling first years toward the path on which the carriages were waiting.

"Ah, the benefits of being in seventh year," Sirius mused as the first years jumped out of our way as if expecting to be punished for standing still. James slapped him on the back.

"Hard to believe it's our last semester here, eh, Padfoot?"

"Right you are. What will dear Moony do without us, Prongsie?"

Remus gave a blithe smile. "I'm sure I'll manage," he said maturely, but not without a hint of worry.

"Don't get down on yourself, Moony," Sirius consoled, "we still have five months left!"

James nodded in agreement and put an arm around me as we waited to board a carriage, kissing the top of my head lightly. I smiled, remembering Christmas Eve and the snogging session that had followed our dancing. Sirius glanced at us and tried unsuccessfully to cover up a snigger.

"Is there a problem?" I asked coolly, raising an eyebrow as Sirius regained his composure.

"Sorry, Evans, I'm just not used to you and Prongs—you know—making contact and enjoying it." James grinned devilishly.

"I'm sure you'll get accustomed," he said before leaning down and capturing my lips in a kiss. I smiled against his mouth and kissed him back as the first years we had passed ogled us, mouths hanging open. After a few more seconds, Sirius cleared his throat.

"You're scaring the ickle firsties," he said, biting back a smile as the eleven-year-olds, shocked to be acknowledged, quickly resumed their previous discussion. Just then, a carriage pulled up to us, its means of motion invisible to most. The five of us squeezed in, leaving barely enough room for our trunks. I glanced around the station one more time before the wheels began moving under us and we were on our way.

…..

"Welcome back to Hogwarts! I do hope your holidays were enjoyable!" boomed the voice of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore as the clamor of nearly a thousand hungry students died down. I caught James winking at Sirius out of the corner of my eye and rolled my eyes: boys. Dumbledore paused for dramatic effect, still holding his hands up, before speaking once more. "Well, seeing as I have ever-so-conveniently forgotten what I was going to say, let the feast begin!" And appreciative round of applause followed the Headmaster's words, followed almost instantaneously by the scrape of forks being picked up and food piled high.

"Never ceases to amaze me, that one," Sirius said, indicating the smiling Headmaster as he heaped nearly half the mashed potatoes in the bowl nearest us onto his plate.

Forty-five minutes later we were all full to bursting and rather sleepy.

"Ugh, I look pregnant," Erica groaned as she held her stomach, which in all honesty did not look any different. She had always been perfectly skinny and could basically eat anything she desired without gaining an ounce, a trait I was quite jealous of.

"Are you?" Sirius questioned automatically, grinning.

"Stuff it, Black," Erica responded, giggling. Merlin, was no one impervious to Sirius's charm? We congregated in the Gryffindor common room later that evening for the annual New Year's party; the first years looked on with wonder as the older students transformed the common room into a lavishly decorated party scene. James and Sirius had snuck off to the kitchens and come back with bottle after bottle of butterbeer stashed inside their robes. James flopped down next to me on the sofa, handing me a bottle.

"For you, milady," he said. I jumped slightly as Sirius flicked his wand and sent the couch flying backwards to clear room for dancing. The party went on for hours, though the first, second, and third years were sent to their dormitories at ten. After that, well, let's just say things got going. I had had to restrain Erica when she reached for her fifth glass of firewhiskey (Merlin knows how James and Sirius had gotten their hands on _that_), and while James had managed to stay sober, Sirius was rather tipsy by midnight. I even caught the usually bookish Remus flirting with a portrait of three young witches as he swigged some of his own firewhiskey. I knew I should have exercised more authority over my fellow Gryffindors, but something about the atmosphere (and the fact that someone had thankfully remembered to put a Silencing Charm on the Fat Lady's portrait) prevented me from caring. At around one o'clock, however, I began to grow tired. I set down my firewhiskey—which, mind you, was my first and _only_ of the night—and headed toward the stairs. A voice stopped me.

"You heading up?" James shouted over the wild thumping of the music.

"Yes," I responded, straightening my shirt. "Classes tomorrow, you know?"

"Yeah," he said, "I'm going to stay a bit longer and make sure Padfoot doesn't seduce the armchair or anything."

"I don't think you're going to have to worry about that," I said slowly. James followed my gaze. There, in the middle of the dance floor, amongst the many students still enjoying themselves, was none other than Sirius…and Erica. Her backside was practically glued to his groin as he held her hips and she ground against him, one of her hands holding the back of his neck and the other placed atop his on her right hip. What scared me most is that, knowing her, she knew exactly what she was doing. And was probably enjoying every bloody second of it. I clicked my tongue; Sarah Johnstone would not be pleased if she saw her shagging partner now. Not that relationships had ever been one of Sirius Black's main concerns; he could take and leave any girl he wanted at any time he pleased. James's eyes widened as he watched his friend.

"Sweet Merlin, he's hopeless. And it's me who's going to have to wake them up tomorrow," he said, nodding toward a passed-out Remus on the sofa. Merlin, the boy couldn't hold much, could he?

"I'll have my own things to deal with as well," I said, watching Erica's blonde hair sway back and forth as she and Sirius "danced." Honestly, did she have any sense of shame?

"Yes, you will," James laughed.

"Well, goodnight, James. Hope they don't cause too much trouble for you." I kissed him on the cheek and wearily made my way up the stairs to my warm, welcoming bed.

**Confession: I totally based Erica's behavior off what I would do in that situation…**

**Reviews are the opposite of Muggle-borns in Slytherin…welcome! (Okay that was a tad mean haha)**

**And tell me! What's your favorite class at good ol' hoggy warty Hogwarts? Defense Against the Dark Arts for me (So long as Mama Umbridge ain't teaching…)**

**If you got the AVPM reference, I love you.**


	13. Chapter 13: Time Goes By

**Disclaimer****: Nope. Not mine.**

**Sorry for the long wait! You know, there were the holidays, New Year's, etc. Anyway, here's Chapter 13! And I hate to say it, but the story is starting to come to a close. There will still be a few more chapters, but it**_** is**_** winding down, and I already have the ending in my head (it's extremely adorable). But for now, read on! Reviews welcome :) **

_CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Time Goes By_

_James's P.O.V._

After the dawn of the New Year, time seemed to be on its own schedule. The pristine white of January melted into February slush, which was a prelude to the oh-so-pleasant mixture of rain and snow that was the month of March. Hogwarts was more or less normal; that is, life continued its endless pattern of schoolwork and studying, with plenty of pranks thrown in the mix (courtesy of yours truly and my faithful comrades!). By mid-May, however, we seventh-years finally began to realize that our N.E.W.T. exams were nearly upon us.

"Why didn't you remind me about our sodding essay, Prongs?" Padfoot demanded incredulously as we marched toward Professor Binns's classroom for class.

"Must've slipped my mind, mate," I responded nonchalantly. "You really should keep better track of our assignments."

"That's likely," he growled as we entered the room. I laughed as we set down our bags at our usual desk. Moony was, of course, already intent on copying down the homework written on the blackboard. I rolled my eyes; Binns hadn't even glided through the wall yet. I smiled when I saw Lily perched on one of her friends' desks, chatting whilst waiting for the lesson to begin, and made my way over to her.

"Hey, Lils," I said, kissing the top of her head and smirking as her friends immediately straightened up in their seats.

"Hey yourself," Lily answered, swiveling on the desk to face me but staying seated. "What's up?"

I stood with one leg on either side of hers, trapping her on the desk (a very compromising position, I'm sure) while her friends' eyes widened and they giggled. "How about you—" I lightly patted her knee, "—and I go out tonight?" I suggested, cocking my head to one side and raising my eyebrows innocently. (According to Padfoot, I look most "endearing" that way.) Lily smiled at me almost sadly.

"I told you, James, I've got a ton of studying to do! Exams—"

"—are not for another month," I finished pointedly. "Come on, Lily, just one night out."

Her friend Erica piped up, her blonde hair hanging in two long plaits in front of her shoulders today. "Yeah, come on, Lily!" she mocked. Lily sighed.

"I'd love to, James, you know that. I just can't. Not tonight." I frowned; she had said that last week. Lily looked me in the eyes. I could tell she really was sorry, though, and let the matter drop.

"Alright. Sometime soon though, right?"

"Right," she insisted with a smile as Professor Binns drifted dully through the wall and glimmered silently at the front of the room. The last thing that registered before completely losing focus was Lily's gorgeous red hair and Professor Binns's monotone voice as he began the lesson. Something about a dwarf rebellion in the West Indies…

…..

"Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?" I glared at Padfoot, who had just hit me over the head with his Astronomy textbook.

"Just making sure you weren't dead," he said, shrugging and returning to his homework. "You're not," he added as an afterthought. We were in the common room, finishing up the fairly light amount of homework we had received that day.

Moony looked at me over his Potions assignment. "Will you quit staring at her, mate?" he said in an annoyed tone. I turned away from Lily sheepishly; she was sitting at a nearby table with Erica and a sixth year girl I didn't know, poring over some notes. I just couldn't help watching her as she tossed her hair and—right. Focus.

"Sorry."

"Apology accepted," he said simply, returning to his work. I almost laughed at his sophisticated manner; it was as if he was a thirty-year-old trapped in a teenager's body. I turned to Padfoot.

"You know something, mate?"

"Mm?" Padfoot said, not looking up from his work. _Very uncharacteristic, _I thought.

"She's all about studying nowadays."

"Who—?" he began. Then he saw me glancing once more at Lily. "Ah," he said, grinning. "The red-haired lass."

"I'm barely getting anywhere with her," I said, raising my voice. Sure enough, Lily cast a sidelong glance in my direction. Sirius caught on instantly.

"Prongsie," he said in a deep voice. "You've always got me, you know." People began to stare at us as Padfoot slid closer to me on the couch. I wondered just how much of this Lily would be able to stand before she stepped in.

"I know I do," I replied, laughing inwardly at Lily's face, which was becoming steadily more…what was the word? Disturbed.

"C'mon, mate," Padfoot said in a voice that I'm sure would be meant to comfort someone in a more serious situation. "Let's take this upstairs." Padfoot and I quickly made our way up the stairs and disappeared into the dormitory. Down in the common room, I could faintly hear Moony speaking to the no doubt confused students below ("A bloke's gotta do what a bloke's gotta do!").

"Three, two, one…." I heard Padfoot counting down. Sure enough, Lily burst through the door not a moment later.

"James Potter, what the bloody hell are you doing?" She asked firmly.

"Lily! Didn't see you down there!"

"Like hell you didn't."

I frowned and tried to look as crestfallen and confused as possible. "Lily, I—I think I might be…gay." I glanced at Padfoot, who was lounging on his bed and she looked at me, dumbfounded. Huh. I guess I'm a better actor than I thought.

"Wha—?" She began. I cut her off, breaking my act and winking as I pulled her against me.

"Wanna prove me wrong?" She rolled her eyes and smiled, getting it.

"You're an arse, you know that? Both of you." Padfoot grinned, very pleased with himself, and rose from his bed.

"Well, I think I'll be going now. You two have some…business to take care of, yes?" He strode past us, stopping to whisper something in Lily's ear. "Gotcha," he said, winking. She hit him on the arm playfully and with that, he left, closing the door behind him.

Then, she turned to me. "What is all this about, James?"

"It's about you. You're always so wrapped up in your studies now; I wanted to see just you, without a thousand books piled around."

"I have to study," she said evasively, looking at the floor.

"Look at me," I instructed. She met my eyes. "I know how much you care about your grades. Kind of admire it, really. But you deserve a break now and again, which is why I wanted to take you out tonight. You can worry about exams tomorrow."

"James, exams are a month away! And these are N.E., not a chapter review test or a short quiz. We have to_ know_ the material, not memorize it."

"Yes, but Lils, you're looking at it the wrong way! Exams are a whole _month away." _ I paused, not knowing where to go from there. "I'll tell you what. You go out with me tonight, and I'll study with you tomorrow."

"Are we even allowed to go out?"

"We're seventh years; we can do whatever the hell we want." She smiled.

"I suppose one night can't hurt."

"Yes! Exactly!" I said, hugging her. "Seven, then?"

"Seven," she said. A mischievous smile then played across her lips. "Now, what did you say about proving you wrong?" I grinned as she wrapped her arms around my neck and I felt her soft lips under my own. She was perfect.

**Gotta love a good bromance, right? Tell me what you liked, what you didn't, anything!**

**And tell me, what is your favorite potion? I personally love Felix Felicis!**


	14. Chapter 14: Exams

**Disclaimer:**** *wishes I was as good a writer as JKR…***

**Sorry again for the wait! I tried to upload yesterday but there was an issue with the site and it wasn't letting anyone on…. Anyway, this chapter took a long time to write; I really hope you enjoy it! And thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has reviewed…I love you guys!**

_CHAPTER 14: Exams_

_Lily's P.O.V._

As it turns out, my date (a romantic dinner for two in a little-known café in Hogsmeade, followed by a stroll through the village and a particularly heated snogging session upon our return to the castle) was among one of the last carefree moments I experienced in the month preceding our NEWTs. The professors were flinging homework at us left and right like one might do with curses in a duel, and we barely had enough time to eat breakfast.

"Shit," I heard Sirius hiss from across the table one morning. His bowl of cereal sat abandoned to his left as he furiously scratched out yet another line of the Transfiguration essay on Animagi that he had neglected to write the night before. "Sh—_fuck!"_

"You alright there, Pads?" James asked as he watched his best mate, amused.

"I don't know what to write!" Sirius spat, causing the fourth year girl to slide a few feet away from him. Merlin—if _girls _were afraid to be near Sirius, it must be bad. Remus broke his intense stare-down with the pages of his History of Magic text and raised an eyebrow at the shaggy-haired boy in front of him.

"Excuse me for asking, Padfoot, but why exactly is an essay regarding _Animagi _such a challenge? You're one yourself, are you not?"

Sirius glared at his friend. "I can't bloody well just say that! 'My name is Sirius Black and I can tell you firsthand how difficult it is to become an Animagus because I illegally became one two years ago. Hope you don't mind.' Oh, yeah, that'll go over well." Remus shrugged as if to say, 'not my problem.' Sirius threw his quill down and ran a hand through his hair. Finally, I had to take pity on him.

"Want me to at least look it over? I could give you some pointers." My words basically translated to 'give it here; I'll do it,' and Sirius looked at how someone may look at a newborn baby with purple skin and claws: awed and impressed, but also completely disbelieving.

"Lily, I could kiss you right now."

James's head snapped up. "OI!" he exclaimed, using his fork as a catapult to send some French toast flying into Sirius's hair.

"Kidding," Sirius said sheepishly. I smiled, reaching across the table for his essay and starting to look over his spiky handwriting, siphoning off blots of ink with my wand as I went.

….

In the blink of an eye, it was exam time. By this point, the students of Hogwarts were avoiding any and all fifth and seventh years, as the two mentioned grades both had major examinations coming up and had been known to explode at the slightest provocation. I knew I was among this guilty party; even James was keeping his distance by the time our first day of exams came round. I looked at my exam schedule. _Astronomy, written portion, eight o'clock – ten-thirty. _I sighed and stuffed the schedule in my bag before meeting with Sirius. We walked together towards the Astronomy tower for the written exam; our practical would take place that night from eleven thirty at night to one o'clock in the morning.

"Ready?" Sirius asked me as we ascended the steep spiral staircase.

"Of course. You?"

"Hope so," he replied lightly.

The exam was fairly simple; I nearly laughed out loud when I saw the first question, as did most of the class. _By what name is the Dog Star commonly known? _I cast a sidelong glance at Sirius, who smiled at me before scrawling his own name down on the paper. After Astronomy came Potions, in which Remus and I both managed to brew a cauldron full of Amortentia with fifteen minutes to spare. James and Sirius, however, were the last to finish their mediocre brews.

"It was two unicorn hairs," James told Sirius as we left Potions.

"Shit. I only put in one," he said, irked.

Remus shook his head at the boys and I half-expected him to make a _tsk_ing noise. "Maybe if you two tossers hadn't been so busy singing 'A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong, Love' you would have been able to pay more attention." He was right; Professor Slughorn had had to tell them off for serenading the class with the song no less than three times.

James looked offended. "Not a fan of our voices, Moony? Besides, it was _Amortentia! _It really was a cauldron of love!"

"Infatuation," Remus and I corrected him at the same time. "Not love."

"Whatever. I still think Paddy here and I could be the next big thing," he said, clapping Sirius on the back. I rolled my eyes, my spirits high. The first day of exams had been leisurely, almost fun. Hopefully the next four days would be the same.

….

They weren't. Everyone was ready to tear out their hair by the end of McGonagall's written assessment, which covered things that we apparently "should have read in our textbooks on our own time." Even _I _left two or three answers blank, and Transfiguration is one of my best subjects. The practical wasn't nearly as excruciating; all we had to do was transform a rabbit into a shoebox. If the box didn't have ears or a tail, we passed. Charms, too, was simple; Flitwick had taken and entirely hands-on approach this year, so the most difficult task we had was to Charm a toad pink. However, History of Magic was borderline unbearable.

"I'll be lucky if I get a T on that one," Sirius commented as we made our way towards the greenhouses for Herbology.

"T?" Remus inquired, furrowing his brow.

"Troll," James, Sirius and I replied. Don't ask me how I knew.

…

Two days later, we entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom for our final exam, well, ever, at Hogwarts.

"Ready to die, Evans?" Remus asked me in a dramatically dark voice.

"After you, Lupin," I replied, equally theatrical, as we faced off in the center of the room. We were instructed to duel as part of our practical, using basically any curse we knew (with the exception of Unforgivables and curses that could do serious harm, of course). Remus and I had been partnered, and we now stood before the eager class to duel—and be graded.

"Rictusempra!" Remus shouted; I dodged the dangerously funny jinx and hurled a Bat Bogey Hex right back at him, nonverbally. He, too, avoided being hit, and the hex shot towards our classmates and hit Sirius in the face instead.

"ARGHHH!" Sirius bellowed, flailing around. I would have laughed, but Remus's Tripping Jinx nearly took me down. I finally got him with _Tarantallegra_, but he managed to overcome the enchantment. We continued our duel for another ten minutes until we both fired the same curse—the Leg-Locker—at the same time, hitting each other and falling to the ground in unison. The class burst into applause and Remus and I stood up, bowed to each other, and exited "center stage" so that James and Sirius could take the floor. Their duel was the highlight of my day. Not only did they completely destroy half the classroom with their spells, but Sirius also got full marks for "creative use of the Reductor Curse." Please, don't ask; it wasn't pretty.

"Hey Padfoot, when did you say these burns will go away?" James asked as we strode out of the classroom and into freedom.

"I didn't," he said, unsure of when the effects of the Rugburn Charm he had nailed James with would disappear. Both boys had suffered minor ailments due to their duel (Sirius was sporting a rather impressive purple bruise above one eye after James sent a horned toad flying out the tip of his wand at him and several puffy bumps dotted his arms from when he blocked a Stinging Jinx).

"Well, come on," James said, heading towards the Gryffindor common room. "We have some post-exam party planning to do, wouldn't you say?"

**Okay, not my most creative ending. But the next chapter will be better! The next chapter will also be the last. Yes, it's true. I'm almost done, and I actually just wrote the last couple sentences of the story (completely by accident; I was even trying to!). And don't say it's too short, because Chapter 9 was the original end! You lot got a ton of extra stuff, let me tell you! Please hang in there till the end, guys; you've been great so far! **

**Review review review!**

**Oh and tell me something! What's your Marauders dreamcast? I'll tell you mine at the start of the next chapter…I want to see what you guys think first!**


	15. Chapter 15: Graduation

**So sorry for the late update! I've been trying to write this chapter for days, but midterms and writer's block seem to have allied against me…**

**And yes, this is the final chapter apart from the Author's Note…it's been a great, great ride, guys!**

**Anyway…well, last chapter's question was what your Marauders dreamcast would be. Ahem—only two or three of you told me what yours would be, so I'll just say mine now:**

**James:**** Aaron Johnson**

**Sirius:**** Milo Ventimiglia**

**Remus:**** Jamie Bell**

**Peter:**** Thomas Turgoose**

**Lily:**** Karen Gillan**

**Oh and ****Erica:**** Spencer Locke (blonde hair)**

**Anyway, here's the grand finale!**

_CHAPTER 15: Graduation_

The exams brought reality crashing down on me; we—my friends and I—were leaving Hogwarts. There would be no more daily chats or classes together. There would be no more castle walls supporting us, no more familiar passageways. After the graduation ceremony, we really would be on our own in the world.

Sirius said it best over lunch on the day before we were set to graduate. "They're just going to throw us out there and hope we paid attention in class," he remarked as we discussed the end of the year.

"It's horrible timing on their part," I commented, "There being a war going on, and all." Erica, seated next to me, made a noise of assent.

James shook his head. "Perfect timing, in my opinion. What better time to prove all that we've learned and use it to—for lack of a better phrase—kick some Dark wizards in the arse?"

"We're in the middle of a war, James," Erica piped up. "Don't forget that."

"How could I?" he replied. Sirius and Remus nodded earnestly. Erica and I shrugged in tandem; I, too, wanted nothing more than to see You-Know-Who's downfall, however, I wasn't quite as adamant about diving headfirst into a war as the Marauders clearly were.

"Oi, Prongsh!" Sirius called, his mouth full of food. "You gon' ea' thah?"

"Manners, Padfoot darling!" James trilled in a perfect impression of a stern finishing school teacher. Sirius swallowed.

"I said are you going to eat that?" Sirius nodded toward the remaining half of James's roast beef-and-ketchup sandwich. ("It's bloody delicious!" he had insisted when I asked him why in the name of Merlin's left sock he always ate his roast beef with ketchup.) "'Cause if you're not…." Sirius reached towards James's plate, which James quickly moved out of his reach.

"As a matter of fact, I am! Paws off, Dogboy." I laughed as Sirius recoiled, well, like a dog after it's been scolded. James picked up his sandwich defiantly, taking a bite.

"You sure are eating a lot, Sirius," I commented. "And that's saying something."

"Ish las' lunch 'ere! Wha' you 'shpect me do?" Sirius fought to speak around the industrial-sized scoop of peas he had just shoveled into his mouth. Erica jumped as a fleck of food hit her in the eye. "Oops—sorry, Erica," Sirius said after he had chewed his food.

"It's okay!" Erica said brightly, wiping it off with her napkin, as if being pelted with half-chewed food from Sirius Black's mouth was her dream come true. I rolled my eyes at Erica's behavior; ever since she and Sirius had—ahem—_fraternized_ at the Gryffindor New Year's party, she had been getting rather giggly around him. Suddenly, Headmaster Dumbledore stepped up to the podium at the front of the Great Hall. All heads turned toward him as he held up his hand and the gilded owl on his stand unfurled its metallic wings for silence.

"I know that it is unusual for an announcement to be made at midday. However, I am happy to say that this one will, if I know you as well as I think I do, bring smiles to your faces! As you all know, all of you completed your end-of-year exams yesterday." Sirius threw a fist in the air as the student body whooped appreciatively and Remus wolf-whistled. "At this point we would typically have you report to your afternoon classes for last minute wrap-ups, however, it has come to my attention that we have a graduation party tonight! Seventh years only, I'm afraid, as they are the ones truly leaving the school," Dumbledore added (a group of fourth year Hufflepuff girls had suddenly become very excited). "However, I know from experience just how much preparation this event can take and just how long it can take our lovely seventh year ladies to…primp, I think it's called. What I am trying to say is that you may have the rest of the day off, if you wish!" He finished to resounding applause throughout the Hall.

"Men his age should never use the word 'primp,'" Sirius said, looking ashamed of the Headmaster. "They make it sound like some sort of kinky—"

"That's enough, Padfoot," Remus cut him off while James chuckled and Erica giggled.

…..

The ceremony was beautiful, nostalgic, heartbreaking and exciting all at once. We all received graduation scrolls embossed with our House colors and "fancy graduation hat thingies!" as Erica put it. Sirius's doglike instincts took over when he noticed the tassel on his mortarboard; he kept pawing at it, growling slightly every time he jerked his head and caused it to move away. It was really quite cute, though after about five minutes Remus, sick of watching Sirius flail about, used a charm to glue the tassel to the top of Sirius's cap, ending the game.

The ceremony lasted for about two hours, ending at nine-thirty. As Dumbledore finished his closing speech, James, Sirius, Remus and I rose from our table. Erica departed to catch up with some of her friends in Ravenclaw, leaving us four standing together.

James threw an arm around me and leaned down. "Hey," he whispered in my ear, "Fancy a walk?" I nodded and James smiled, excusing us from Sirius and Remus.

It had just gotten dark as James and I strode out the giant double-doors of the Entrance Hall and out onto the grounds for a quick walk. We had lost our caps when the lot of us threw them in the air to celebrate graduation, and now walked in a peaceful silence, the cool night breeze dancing around us and crickets serenading us with a buzzing symphony. Faerie lights adorned the trees nearest the castle and a walkway had been lit with enchanted lanterns that hovered a couple inches off the ground. James and I walked hand-in-hand across the grounds, our shoulders touching. The lack of words between us was warm, comfortable. James stopped at the edge of the Black Lake and sighed deeply. The air, fresh with that indescribable smell of water, filled my nostrils as I glanced to my left at James's handsome silhouette framed in the glow of the faerie lights.

He turned to face me, his hazel eyes alight and smiling wide. I smiled back, and he let go of my hand. He put both behind his back. "Pick one," he whispered, stepping away from me so I could see him fully. I bit my lip, smiling.

"Right."

"Mine or yours?"

"Yours," I said, wondering what this could be about. James grinned and withdrew his hand from behind his back; it was in a fist. I furrowed my brow. Noticing my confusion, James unclenched his fist. I gasped; in his hand was a small orb of gold light that almost appeared to be made of silk. I watched in awe as it began to move; the light unfurled into a shimmery golden fabric and revealed the small bud of a flower: a water lily. James poked it once and it, too, opened up to reveal creamy pink and white petals and a small orange center. Softly, James blew on it; it drifted off his hand and through the air, finally coming to rest on the glassy surface of the lake and rippling the water, a soft glow still emanating from its delicate petals. "James," I finally whispered breathlessly, "that was beautiful."

"Just like you," he responded, taking my hands in his own and facing me. He stood so close that our foreheads were touching; I could feel his breath on my lips and the heat radiating off his body as I closed my eyes. James tilted his head and closed the last inch between us, his lips softly tugging on mine. I retuned the kiss, moving with him and sharing a kiss that could be described as nothing short of magical. Of all the kisses James and I had shared, this was by far my favorite.

When we broke apart, I met James's beautiful eyes with my own, willing time to stand still and leave me here, in this moment, forever. James seemed to look right into my soul as he spoke his next words. "I love you, Lily Evans," he said in his deep, comforting voice; I could tell he meant it more than anything he'd ever said before. My heart rate picked up tenfold and I felt tears sting my eyes.

"I love you, too, James Potter." James smiled and laughed softly, pulling me to his chest.

"You've no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," he confessed. I smiled as he held me, feeling content. Suddenly, a figure in the doorway of the Entrance Hall cast a long shadow across the grass.

"Oi Prongs! You coming in?"

"Padfoot, I told you to let them be!" hissed another voice, accompanied by a very lanky shadow.

"They've been out there forever!"

"Stuff it!"

I turned to James and laughed lightly. "I think someone misses your company," I teased. "Come on, we should get back inside." James sighed melodramatically.

"I suppose so." He took my hand and we made our way back into the Entrance Hall, meeting up with Sirius and Remus and the base of the staircase that marked the start of our route to Gryffindor Tower. As the four of us made our way up the familiar stone steps for the final time, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride in having made it through so many years at Hogwarts, having achieved so much. I turned to look at the three boys by my side.

"So," I said, "excited to leave?"

"Yes!"; "_Hell_ yes!"; "No," said James, Sirius, and Remus at the same time.

"Why not, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"I'm going to miss you guys," he said truthfully, turning red.

"Please," James said. "You think you can get rid of us that easy?"

Remus shrugged.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did, Moony, mate," Sirius said. "Prongsie and I, well, we're tossers."

"Agreed," James added, nodding, "Twats, even."

"And we're obnoxious,"

"Immature,"

"Uncouth,"

"Nice word choice, Pads!"

"Thank you!"

"Impertinent,"

"Crass,"

"Puerile,"

"Wankers," they finished together. I couldn't contain my giggles. They turned to me.

"What say you, Red One?" Sirius asked.

I grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

**The End :D **

**And the last review question! What was your favorite part of the story and why? This is more of a "you answer" thing, so go ahead and answ**

**And click "NEXT" for the Author's Note!**


	16. Author's Note!

**Author's Note!**

**Okay, here goes….thank you to:**

WeasleyAndProud, You Know Who (), sonolamore, lucyjoan, Eleni, RainbowRepublic, LilyLunaRox, WillowBee, Anie1129, The Four Maraudettes, silver dagger, tizzyislee, Yumazing, Hello 12, missmagicalmoron, xxRainBossxx, Words of A Feather, AccioTeddyLupin, soul61, ziva10, YoungAndLiving, harrypotter554, blueapples, Starkid potter and anyone else who decides to review this story in the future!

Thank you all a million times and a million times again for all the reviews, subscriptions, and alerts! It really makes my day to know I have so many awesome readers, and I appreciate every single one of you. Reviews really are the best gift an author can get on this site, so I thank you all for 103+ of the best gifts I've ever received!

**HP*HP*HP*HP*HP*HP*HP*HP*HP**

I am honestly SO SAD that this story is over, but don't worry! I'm planning on posting several oneshots (and they could be rated K, they could be rated M, so look out!) in the near future, so be sure and review those!

**IMPORTANT! Read this! **

I also have another Marauders-era story in the works, but I'm not going to starting posting chapters until I've made decent headway on it and can keep up with updates! All I'm telling you about it now is that there's a little bit of James/Lily and the beginning, but it eventually focuses on a Sirius/OC pairing for most of the story. If that intrigues you, add me to your Author Alert list so you'll be notified when I start posting it!

Until then, happy reading, happy writing, and THANK YOU SO MUCH!

**Magically, happily and hoping to see you soon,**

**AmazingWingedGirl (a.k.a. Caitlin) :D**


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